Qualifying Offers Sent to T.J Oshie, Ben Bishop and Ryan Reaves

It isn’t surprising news, but it does qualify as news. Today the St. Louis Blues announced they have sent qualifying offers to T.J. Oshie, Ben Bishop and Ryan Reaves. By making these offers, the Blues retain the negotiating rights to each player once they become restricted free agents.

So … how exactly does a qualifying offer work?

If a player was making less than $660,000 in the 2010-11 season, the qualifying offer must be 110% of his previous salary. If the player was making up to $1 million in salary, his offer must be 105% of his previous salary. Finally, if the player was making more than $1 million in 2010-11, his offer must be 100% of his previous salary.

The Blues needed to make these offers or they would have risked having Oshie, Bishop and Reaves as unrestricted free agents come July 1st, which would give other teams a chance to bid on them.

If a skater decides to reject his qualifying offer, he becomes a restricted free agent.

News should come soon about the status of the team’s offers, and whether the players have accepted or rejected them. You can check back here for an update and further analysis once the news breaks.